Postmarking-machine.



- 11. ROBERTSON.

I OSTM ARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 11011.29, 1905.

Patentd Mar. 9, 1909.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N NTOR ATTORNEYS.

rusamnms PETERS co., vAsI-lmcrou, n. c.

D. ROBERTSON.

POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2a, 1905.

914,513. Patented Mar. 9,1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTO/T ATTOR NEYS.

D. ROBERTSON.

POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1905.

' Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/NVENTOR Mpg/5555 ATTORNEYS D. ROBERTSON.

POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED H0123! 1905. 7

914,5 1 3. Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

W/TNE55 5 INVENTOR PATENT @FFTCF...

DONALD ROBERTSON, OF WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND.

POSTMARKING-IVIAGHINE No. 914,518. Specification of Letters Patent.Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,781.

(m) drives the feed spur wheel (0) being mounted on shaft (p), and s urwheel (n) drives the stacker spur wheel (g) mounted on shaft (7).

The spur wheel shafts have suitable bearings in journal bosses (8)formed in metal of gear box (if) and table (a) the shafts (f) (Z) (29)(r) passing through the table and carrying the marking pressure, feedingand stack ing devices respectively.

The feeding mechanism consists of a revolving wheel (12) carrying arubber or other suitable gripping or frictional surface (w) see Fig. 6.This wheel (12) for purposes which 1 will hereafter explain revolves ata lower peripheral speed than the marking or other wheels. In closeproximity to but not actually touching the rubber surface of this wheelare the points of a spring controlled separator (r), Fig. 4, preferablyhaving a forked extremity (y) and j ournaled in brackets (2) on a fence(1) at right angles to the mail path which is shown by arrow, Fig. 2. Aterminal nut (2) screwed on end of separator (9;) enables operator toregulate to a nieety, against the action of expansion spring (3)surrounding separator shaft (.r) the distance of the separator pointsfrom the feed wheel surface. The fence (1) is bent round where separatorpoints protrude so as to be parallel to the mail path, and form aguide-plate for the ma l.

The shaft (f) carries the marking wheel (4) and a cam (5) both fastthereto. The marking wheel (4), see Fig. 7, protrudes through the mailfence (1) and has a circular type holder (6) and cancellation die (7)cut 011 part of the upper portion of its periphery. The lower part ofthe marking wheel is provided with a continuous periphery (4 Fig. 7. Theremaining part (8) of the upper portion of the periphery of the markingwheel is preferably cut away or slightly recessed to obviate the inkingwheel from touching any but the marking periphery; thereby preventingsmudging. The continuous periphdriving such for instance, as an electricmotor cry (4) of the lower part of the marking perpendicularly placed ofsuitable speed and wheel besides simplifying the wheel enables whoseshaft may be direct coupled to the very long letters to be handledwithout any vertical shaft driving the pressure roller. fear of theirbearing more than one impres- The main shaft (f) carries aspur wheel (h)l sion of the die.

driving the spur inion (76), see Fig. 3, The pressure roller (9) is asimple rubber mounted on shaft (1) said 1pinion (7c) drivin coveredmetal wheel and is mounted on a idler spur wheels (m) anc (n); spur wheelpin (13) which is positively driven by a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD ROBERTSON, a subject of Great Britain,residing at Wellington, New Zealand, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Postmarking-Ma chines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists in improvements in post or mail marking machineswhich are characterized by a continuously revolving marking wheel andhas for its object the production of a simple machine which will cancelpostage stamps and postmark ordinary mixed mail matter at a high rate ofspeed and with great accuracy.

A further object is the provision of a thor ou 'hly eflicient means ofseparating the mail before it reaches the marking mechanism whenmechanically fed.

My invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the,accompanying drawings in which Figure 1, represents the elevation of themachine the gear box cover being removed. Fig. 2, is a lan, and generalview of mechanism on ta le. Fig. 3, shows driving gears. Fig. 4, showsdetail of separator. Fig. 5, shows detail of pressure roller. Fig. 6,shows detail of index finger and feed wheel. Fig. 7, shows detail ofmarking wheel. Fig. 8, shows detail of alternative inking device.

From the drawings it will be seen that the machine consists of a hollowstandard carrying a gear box between itself and the table, i or platenabove, and on which latter are ar- 1 ranged the feeding, separating,marking, stacking, and other devices.

(a) is the hollow standard of the machine made in cast iron, having afoot (1)) and a flange (c) for gear box. 'Within the standard is afootstep bearing (d) and belt-shifting arm (6) the footstep bearing (d)supports the main vertical driving shaft (f) carrying fast and looseulleys (g) (g), for attachment of driving be t. It will be understoodhowever that I may use any other desired means for shaft (Z) see Fig. 5,to which said pin is secured by a universal joint (22).

Hitherto in post marking machines considerable diificulties have beenexperienced in making provision against the smudging of the pressureroller when the latter is times, added to which there is some chance ofinjury to the die and type. To overcome these disabilities I prefer toattach a rubber sleeve (10) to the pressure roller (9) and to cuttherefrom shallow horizontal grooves (11) around the sleeve as indicatedin Fig. 5. With this arrangement a thin piece of mail will take a clearimpression of the die.

The pressure roller (9) is mounted in a bracket and is secured to a pin(13) see Fig. 5. The bracket is pivoted on a pin (14) as shown. Ascrewed hook (15) engages with a slot (16) passing through a screw (17)upon which the nut (18) takes a bearing and enables the position of thepressure roller to be accurately adjusted against the action of thespring (20) riveted or secured to pressure roller bracket (12) andbearing against screw pressure adjusting screw (21). The shaft (1) seeFig. 5, at a point immediately below the table is provided with auniversal joint (22) to allow for driving and at the same timeaccommodation of pressure roller to inequalities of passing mail matteror adjustment.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the inking wheel (23) which is of the ordinarytype tensioned between pivots and mounted in a bracket (25) and pivotedat (26). It is composed of a soft absorbent material, and is usuallyinked by hand with a brush but it may be arranged and inked in mannerhereinafter described and illustrated in Fig. 8.

As before mentioned a cam (5) is carried fast on the rotating shaft (f).A time stop or supplementary separator (27) (see Fig. 7) is pivoted asat (28) to a projection (28) on fence (1) and is so shapedthat its innerend (27 is fitted with a roller (29) engaging with cam (5), while itsoperative or outer end is made to lie during non-actuation at rightangles to or across the mail path and in advance of the pressure andmarking wheel centers. A contractile spring (30) tends to keep roller(29) in contact with cam.

To prevent the mail matter crowding out to the end of the stop it isguided by an index finger (31) pivoted on pin (32) in bracket (33). Thesaid finger is so made as to lie close up to the portion of fence (1)forming a guide The normal adjustment of the finger is such as to allowthe passage of very thin mail up to the time stop (27 Thick mail dispapps the finger sufliciently to accommodate itse The index finger isadjustable both as to the position of its point, that is the distancethat it lies from the guide plate and as regards its tension orpressure.

The tail (31) of index finger (31) forms bearing surface for theadjustment screw(34).

The pin (32) in bracket (33) has mounted upon it the notched quadrant(35) (see 6). A spring (36) surrounds said pin the lower end being madefast, the upper end engaging with one of the notches in the quadrant(35) by altering its position with regard to the notches the desiredtension is obtained. 7

The stacker or stacking wheel (36) (see Fig. 2) is driven by theinteraction of the gears previously mentioned. It is mounted on shaft(r). arms (36) protrude beyond the mail fence (38). An adjustable stop(39) is placed at right angles to the mail path and beyond the stacker.

When mail is stacked after marking on the flat surface of a horizontaltable it is found that a long stack is difficult unless the operatoreases it frequentlyowing to the friction between the mail and the table.To overcome this I provide a traveling tray (40 which at thecommencement of the stack is pushed up to the stacking wheel.

The forward end of the tray 10 is provided with. an upright piece (40 tosupport the mail. The tray (40 Figs. 1 and 2 consists of hollow rods(40) running on rollers (41) let into the table and runs partly underthe extension of the mail path. The tray 10 moves forward as each pieceof mail is stacked by the stacking wheel, the friction. under theseconditions being of a nominal character.

To prevent mail matter from being crowded off the tray on to the inkingroller, a back plate (23 is provided close to tile inking roller andparallel with the hollow rods of the tray.

The operation of my invention is as follows :A bundle ofmail is held insuch a manner that the portion nearest the feed wheel is gently urged bythe operator so that it touches with its edges the projecting prongs (y)of the separator (9c). At the same time the continuously revolving feedwheel gripping the mail with its frictional surface draws same forwardpast the points of the separator (00). The separator now recedes agreater or less distance according to the thickness of the piece ofmail, but conthat it prevents the second piece from passplate, but notto actually touch the same. ing. Sometimes owing to operator pressingIts radial double crescent too hard the bundle against the feed wheel,or from other cause, more than one piece of mail succeeds in passing theseparator (x), but, as explained below, the time stop (27) in such caseacts as an additional separator. in the ordinary way the piece of mailis fed forward the separator (50) preventing a second piece from beingfed until the first has completely passed the separator and feed wheel.The first piece is now fed up to the time stop (27) and arrested. Thefeed wheel has now ceased to influence it the separator being so lightlytensioned as to allow the letter to accommodate itself to its newposition. The letter remains at the stop until the stop is retracted bymeans of the cam (5) on shaft (f). Here it is worthy to note that in myimprovement the stop recedes in the arc of a circle and being pivoted inadvance of the marking and pressure rollers is withdrawn with a gradualtendency for the influence of the feed wheel to be felt. When the stopis clear of the mail path the feed Wheel causes the letter to be grippedbetween the marking and pressure or abutment wheels (4) and (9)respectively. The actuating part of the cam having passed, the time stop(27) is permitted to attempt to regain its normal position. Before thestop was retracted the pressure of the index finger (31) was notsufficient to dis place the stop, but when the mail matter has oncepassed between the marking and pressure wheels the stop is by itspeculiar construction unable except in the case of a very thin mail toregain its normal position. In the case of very thin mail the letterpassing conforms to these conditions by bending over the pressureroller. Immediately the letter has been drawn by the marking andpressure rollers beyond the feed wheel the latter begins to influencethe next letter but, as already explained, the feed wheel peripheralspeed is less than that of the marking and pressure rollers. This isdesigned to allow a slight interval between the tail of one letter andthe forward end of the succeeding one. This insures more perfectseparation.

Owing to the delicacy of the adjustments given to the index finger (31)I provide for the free passage of thin mail matter and this mechanism inconjunction with the time stop (27) also acts as an additional separatorwhen in the case above cited two letters may pass the first separator.Should this happen and both be fed up to the time stop, the stop byvirtue of its retraction and pointed nose will let slip only the firstletter, which travels quicker (being in contact with the feed wheel),than the piece of mail which it is only frictionally influencing. Theindex finger also aids this by slightly curving the first letter soseparating the two. The letter having been gripped between the markingand abutment wheels it is canceled, stamped, and thrown forward.

To insure the discharge of mail in such a way that it will stack evenlyI place the axis (13) of the pressure roller behind the axis (f) of themarking wheel (4), so that the mail will curl out toward the. guideplate or fence (38), and take its place behind the mail already stacked.w

The stacking wheel catches the mail in its flight, piling the letters asthey are fed forward in regular bundles against the fence (39). As thepile increases the traveling tray moves forward until the limit isreached when the mail is removed and the tray replaced for a furthersupply.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification of the inking roller. Thisconsists of a roller (44) mounted in an ink bath (45). An intermediatebeveled roller (46) is pivoted so as to take up ink from the roller (44)and ink the surface of a roller (48) with which the marking wheel (4) isintermittently in contact by reason of its construction in having part(8) cut away as hereinbefore described.

Having now described my invention, what claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in a post markingmachine, of a feed wheel and an index finger on one side of the mailpath, a spring controlled longitudinally movable separator extending atright angles to the mail path on the opposite side thereof, a stop orsupplementary separator normally extending across the mail path andmeans for withdrawing said stop at certain times.

2. A postmarking machine comprising a mail fence a feed wheel on theopposite side thereof, a separator carried by the fence and cooperatingwith the feed wheel, a printing wheel and a pressure wheel therefor, aspring controlled index finger located on the same side of the mail pathas the feed wheel and having its end cooperating with the fence at apoint to the rear of the feed wheel and in front of the printing wheel,a stop normally extending across the mail path adjacent the end of theindex finger and means for withdrawing the stop at intervals.

3. A postmarking machine comprising a fence having a portion extendingparallel to the mail path, said portion being slotted, and a portionextending at right angles to the said path, a spring controlled forkedseparator carried by the letter portion of the fence, a feed wheellocated on the other side of the mail path with which the forked end ofthe separator engages, a printing wheel located on the fence side of themail path and having a portion extending through the slot in the fence,a pressure wheel on the o pesite side of the path cooperating with t eprinting Wheel, a stop carried by the parallel portion of the fencehaving a portion normally extending across the mail path in front of theprinting Wheel, a cam on the In testimony whereof I have signed myprinting Wheel engaging With said stop to name to this specification inthe presence of Withdraw the projecting end thereof from tWo subscribingWitnesses.

across the path at intervals and a spring DONALD ROBERTSON. 5 controlledindex finger having its end engagl/Vitnesses:

ing with the parallel portion of the fence V. J. BROGAN,

immediately in front of the stop. J. R. PARK.

